resulting bar is bent to expose a fracture surface. The visual observation of inclusions on the fracture is used to determine a K-value for the melt and compared to a preset standard. This method is rather imprecise and therefore only suitable when metal contains large inclusions and inclusion clusters. LiMCA The LiMCA method measures the total concentration and size distribution of inclusions present in aluminum alloys. Its measuring principle is based on an objective and user-independent method. The LiMCA CM system can characterize the cleanliness of a melt at time intervals in the order of one minute. It can therefore monitor, in real-time, the evolution of cleanliness along a cast as a function of process parameters and melt-handling practices. The heart of the LiMCA measuring system consists of a closed glass tube (electrically insulating material) bearing a small orifice at its bottom. The tube is positioned in liquid metal. By creating a vacuum inside the tube, the metal with the suspended inclusions to be detected is forced through the small orifice. Two electrodes are necessary: one inside the tube and the other outside. Both electrodes are immersed in the liquid metal. A constant electric current is applied between the electrodes. The current flows through the liquid metal by the small orifice in the tube. When an inclusion enters the orifice, it displaces its volume of conducting fluid, temporarily raising the electrical resistance. The increase of resistance generates a voltage pulse. The magnitude of the voltage pulse is a function of the volume of the particle. The duration of the pulse is related to the transit time of the inclusion. The voltage pulses are amplified and their amplitude measured digitally. The size distribution and total concentration are displayed in real-time on a computer screen. Inclusion removal In order to get a good quality product, removing the inclusion becomes necessary. Liquid metal filtration through a ceramic medium is an efficient way to clean the metal. Different types of ceramic media are used in-line in foundries, such as ceramic foam filters, porous tube filters, bonded ceramic filters, and deep bed filters. See also Non-metallic inclusions for inclusions in steel Hydrogen gas porosity References Casting (manufacturing) Metallurgy